was captain of L-Z Junior, and had laid rather
heavily on a victory.

"Of course not, my good man, I'm going to umpire."

This time the laughter was not subdued.

In his retreat at the far end of the studies Clarke heard it. Down the
passage he thundered, knocked at the door, and came in.

"What's the meaning of this? You know quite well that not more than
three are allowed in here at one time. Come to my study, the lot of
you."

All this time Meredith was being jammed behind the door.

"When you have quite finished, Clarke," he said.

"I am sorry, Meredith. Are you responsible for this?"

"In a way, yes. I was rather afraid that the House was getting slack
about their work. A very bad thing for a house, Clarke! So I took this
opportunity of holding a little viva voce examination. We were studying
'The Sermon on the Mount,' a singularly beautiful and impressive
passage, Clarke. Have you read it?"

Clarke had read it that day as the lesson in chapel. He had also read it
rather badly, having a cold in his head.

"You seem to have rather a large class, Meredith," he said
sarcastically.

"Yes; like our good Lord, I have beaten the by-ways and the hedges, and
I am almost afraid I shall also have to beat Mansell. He has singularly
failed to appreciate the full meaning of that passage about 'humility.'"

Clarke saw he was beaten, and turned away. As he walked down the passage
he heard a roar of laughter coming from Study No. 1.

The story was all round the House in half-an-hour, and on his way down
to prayers Clarke heard FitzMorris say before a whole crowd:

"You are a great fellow, Meredith. That's the way to keep these upstarts
in order."

That night there was merriment in the games study, and Ferguson advised
Clarke to let the matter drop.

"After all, you know, it's not your business."

And perhaps Clarke realised that Ferguson was for once right. But he had
to go on; it was very hard, though. He had been quite popular before he
was head of the House. He wished he had left a year ago. For it is hard
to be hated where one loves. And Clarke, well as he loved Fernhurst,
loved the House a hundred times more.

* * * * *

"Well played, Caruthers; jolly good knock."

"Well done, Caruthers!"

Lovelace and Mansell banged excitedly into Gordon's study the evening
after the Colts match _v._ Murchester. Gordon had made thirty-seven on a
wet wicket, and a defeat by over a hund